Combination wood and steel crosstie



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GEORGE E. KYSER, F BIRMINGHAM, .LD-.ND CHARLES E. 'HCillAS,` 0F CENTER/VILLE, ALABAIVLA, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-(HALF TO SAID CHAR-LES E. THOMAS'AND ONE-HALF TO J. A. THOMAS.

COMBINATIonWooD AND STEEL cnossrrn.

Application iled August 14, 1919, Serial N'o. 317,557.y `Renewed August 28, 1922. Serial No. 584,755'.

T0 czZZ yfui/tom t may concern.'

Be it lrnoivn that We, Gnomi; E. Krsna and CHARLES E. Trrotnls, citizens of the United States ot america., residing, respec- 5 tively, at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson, and Centervillmin 'the county of Bibl), and State of Alabama., have invented certain new and yuseful Improvements in Combination -Wood and Steel Crossties', of which the Yfollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to a combination Wood and steel railway cross tie which is characterized by thev` provision of effective means ttor mounting Wooden filler blocks in vposition to carry the rails.

One object. of our invention is to provide novel fastening plates adapted to engage the inner edges of the rail bases andthe ends of the metal tie and to be held in opy erating position Without the use voit bolts or other fastenings, by the interposition between each adjacent pair oit 'fastening plates ot a Wooden filler block.

It is a 'further important advantage of our invention that the metallic tie element is adapted to engage the outer rail flanges, thus positively7 preventingr the rails spreading and giving a greatly increased safety factor to our ties. ln this connection the Wooden elements of the tie being relieved of the important duty of preventing the spreadlng of the rails can be used for their full life, i. e., as long as they will support the rail and hold the spikes.

Another important advantage of our invention lies in the fact that the Wooden filler blocks can be replaced from time to time Without disturbing the steel tie in its ballast bed and during the time the Wooden blocks are out the steel tie will suliiciently support the rails to avoid the necessity et jacking them up.

A further object is to adapt the steel tie so that it Will drain itself of Water, thereby ena-bling the Wooden filler blocks Which it protects from Contact With the ground to dry out quickly and thus give full lite service.

These and other advantages of our invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate only the preferred embodiment ot our invention, and in Which:-

Fig. l is a perspective View of our tie 'with the Wooden filler block about to be inserted in position at one end of the steel tie andthe rail shown in dotted lines resting` on the other endetl the steel tie showing the manner olf `its support when the Wooden block is removed.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View of one end of the'cross'te with all parts assembled in operating position.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings. l

In* the preferred embodiment of our invention illustrated in the drawings, We shou7 a tie formed of metal and comprising a `central body portion l which `is flat unless it is desired to stil'ien it in any suitable manner. At each end this body portion l is provided with a pair of similar upturned integral side flanges Q which are undercut `along their top edges to form the rail seats 3 and undercut along their outer vertical edges `to leave the overhanginglugs 4r. These side ilanges are preferably vertically disposed and a fastening plate 5 is associated with each llange. the plate having its outer end bent outwardly at right angles to form a tongue 6 ivhich will engage theend edge of the adjacent flange 2 and lock under its lug 4 and having its inner end provided with an upturned overhanging rail engaging lug 7, which on its under face is sloped to conform to the sloping base of the rail 8. The plates associated With the flanges on one side of the tie have their tongues 6 bent in opposite directions from the plates associated With the langes on the other side oit the cross tie. A Wooden filler block 9 is adapted to be inserted in the channel at each end of the tie so as to make a lclose {it between and to secure the plates 5 in operating position and to form the primary support :tor the rail. These blocks are preferably tapered at their ends and are about equal in length to the side {lange-s 2. They thus form Wooden cushions or chairs under the rails and they receive the fastening spikes 10 which thus tie the. rails to the blocks and by the interlock of the rail with the plate lugs 7 on one side and the overhanging flanges ll above the rail seat 3 on the other side, will thus serve to tie the Whole fastening mechanism together.

In operation, a metallic steel cross tie is laid7 the `rails are dropped in position on the seats 3 and the tie plates are assembled and are interlocked with the flanges as shovvn in Fig. l. Thereafter the wooden filler blocks are driven into place and held there in position to support the rails with the spikes 10 driven thereinto and hold the plates 5 in position. Vhen necessary to remove or replace a wooden block it is only necessary to draw the spikes, knock the block out and replace lit with another block without disturbing the rail mounting or the position of the steel tie in its bed. The steel cross tie is self draining, protects the wooden filler blocks from the earth, and the blocks are exposed to the air in such manner that theywill dry out rapidly, thus increasing their life and service. We prefer to confine the side flanges to the ends of the tie to reduce weight, but this feature is not of essential importance, it being only necessary thatthe metallic portion of thetie, whatever its intermediate construction may be, shall have side flanges at its ends to provide the rail supporting seats and the end flanges for the plates 5 to interlock with.

Our invention is not intended to be restricted in scope to the specific embodiments shown, but contemplates such modifications asl come within the spirit and scope of the claims.

Vhat we claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

l. In a steel and wooden cross tie, a steel element formed of heavy sheet steel flat throughoutV its central portion and having upturned flanges at its ends, undercut rail seats in the top edges of said flanges, fastening yplates adapted to engage the rail base and flanges so as to hold the rails on said to prevent the outward displacementof the f rails, fastening plates adapted to engage the rail base and flanges so as to hold the rails against inward displacement on said seats, and wooden filler blocks adapted to support the rails and to hold said fastening plates in operating position.

3. A cross tiecomprising a metallic member having a fiat bottom wall extending from end to end and side flanges upturned at each end, rail-seats in said anges having overhanging walls at the outer end thereof, a fastening plate disposed at each side of the tie with an overhanging rail engaging wall at the inner end of said seats and having an out-turned lip to interlock with the outer ends of said flanges, and filler blocks adapted to be inserted between said :fastening plates to hold them in operating position, the upper surface of the blocks being abo-ve the level of the rail seats in said flanges and adapted to receive rail fastening spikes, substantially as. described. 4

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

GEORGE E. KYSER. CHAS. E. THOMAS. Witness:

NoMlE WELSH. 

